BELL COUNTY, Texas — The Texas Department of Public Safety is working to end 2021 and ring in 2022 safely by joining Operation CARE. The nationwide operation, which stands for Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort (CARE), runs from Dec. 23 through Jan. 2022.
"It's all hands on deck. With 30 million people in Texas now, there is an estimated 25 million registered vehicles," DPS Sgt. Bryan Washko continued. "Compared to years past, our crashes have increased so we are averaging about ten fatalities per day."
Around 2,200 Troopers will be out across Texas looking for people who are speeding, not wearing their seat belts, or driving while intoxicated.
Washko told 6 News DPS has around 3,000 Troopers in total. Currently, 800 of those have been redirected to the border with Mexico for Operation Lonestar, to combat the smuggling of people and drugs into Texas.
Washko said DPS sees the most DWIs on New Year's Eve with drunk driving claiming lives every new year.
"We start seeing our crashes early into the new year. Last year, our first fatality was within 20 minutes of the new year. It didn't take long. So those are our peak hours," Washko "Those that work the night shift should drive defensively and play it safe."
DPS is asking anyone who plans to go out for drinks on New Year's Eve to either get a designated driver, use a ride-sharing program, or just plan to stay the night if celebrating with friends.
Drivers can learn about additional resources for getting a safe ride, and about the consequences of a DWI, at soberrides.org.
For just the first DWI offense, Washko said, people must pay an average of $15,000 in fines before all is said and done.
"There's a lot of administrative fees and lawyer fees. The monetary side of a DWI is awful. However, if you crash and injure yourself or somebody else, you are looking at a possible prison term," Washko said.
DPS released the following tips for staying safe this holiday season:
- Don’t drink and drive. Make alternate plans if you are consuming alcohol.
- Move Over or Slow Down for police, fire, EMS, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) vehicles and tow trucks stopped on the side of the road with emergency lights activated. Show the same courtesy to other drivers who are stopped on the side of the road. This year alone, between Jan. 1 and Dec. 14, DPS issued 12,060 warnings and citations for Move Over, Slow Down violations.
- Buckle up everyone in the vehicle, it’s the law.
- Slow down, especially in bad weather, heavy traffic, unfamiliar areas or construction zones.
- Eliminate distractions while driving, including the use of mobile devices. Texas law prohibits the use of portable wireless devices to read, write or send an electronic message unless the vehicle is stopped. If you’re using a navigation device or app, have a passenger manage it, so you can keep your eyes on the road.
- Drive defensively, as holiday travel can present additional challenges.
- Don’t drive fatigued — allow plenty of time to reach your destination.
- On multi-lane roads, use the left lane for passing only. Not only is it courteous driving and avoids impeding traffic, Texas law requires slower traffic to keep to the right and use the left lane for passing only (when posted).
- If you can Steer It, Clear It: If you are involved in a non-injury crash and your vehicle can be moved, clear the traffic lanes to minimize traffic impact. Leaving vehicles in a traffic lane increases traffic congestion and leaves those involved with an increased risk of harm or a secondary wreck. On some highways, if you don’t move your vehicle when it’s safe to do so, it’s illegal.
- Check your vehicle to make sure it’s properly maintained and always ensure your cargo is secure.
- Keep the Texas Roadside Assistance number stored in your phone. Dial 1-800-525-5555 for any type of roadside assistance. The number can also be found on the back of a Texas Driver License.
- Report road hazards or anything suspicious to the nearest law enforcement agency.
- Monitor weather and road conditions wherever you are traveling. For road conditions and closures in Texas, visit Drive Texas.
A DPS press release said "during DPS’ 2020 Christmas and New Year’s enforcement efforts, there were 116,810 citations and warnings issued. This included 14,499 speeding citations; 1,636 seat belt and child seat violations; 2,625 citations for driving without insurance; and 820 citations and warnings for Move Over, Slow Down violations.
In addition, last year’s enforcement efforts resulted in 1,185 felony arrests, 615 DWI arrests and 355 fugitives arrested."